A Heart of Green
by Echo Chambers
Summary: An orphanage burned to the ground.  Now the girls are boarding at the Winding Circle Dormatories.  But when one of them doesn't do well settling in… The story is set after the Circle has left Dicipline.  Please read and review!
1. Chapter One

A/N: This is inspired by what little knowledge I have retained from reading some of the adventures of Merlin. Yes, I need a better title. I'll work on that, but today I just wanted to post a chapter!

Chapter One:

Just outside the great city of Winding Circle, down a dusty country road that was not often traveled, was a quaint little town of farmers and such folk who kept mostly to themselves. Just barely past the town, if one were to follow an over grown path through the meadows, one would come across a large house. It must have been a magnificent house when it was built. But, over a century had passed since then, and the wear was definitely showing. Roof tiles were missing, shutters dangled precariously from their hinges and as you walked up the front steps they creaked and groaned as if they were to break. Still, here it was, standing tall and proud atop it's hill, home to seventeen young women, a cook in her mid forty's, and a kindly lady who served as their mother, teacher, advisor and friend.

The tolling of the town church bell rang out across the land. In the large house, in the main room, the kindly lady set down her book. Class was ending and all seventeen girls were seated cross-legged on the floor practicing their writing on old tablets with stumps of chalk that the town church donated every so often.

"Girls, tonight I want you to find a partner and practice for the spelling quiz tomorrow. I want you all asleep by the next bell toll. So, off to your room," she smiled. Iva loved her life. Leaning her back against the, Iva let herself to fall back into memories.

Iva'd dreamed of starting an orphanage for parent less girls like herself ever since her mother died when she was ten. She had never known her father. So, she'd gotten herself a job as soon as she could and saved up. Five years later she fell in love with a merchant boy and married him. He helped her with her dream and together they planned it out. On June twenty first twenty five years ago the young couple had bought this old house from the town mayor. Three years later her husband died of a heart attack.

Sighing at the memory, Iva straitened up and set down her book. She still missed him, but it was a gentler pain. After all, she had her faithful friend, Margret the cook, and seventeen wonderful girls.

Upstairs those 'wonderful girls' were getting ready for bed. They all shared one room. Nine bunk beds were squashed into the master bed room. Beneath each were two boxes where a girl kept all of her personal belongings such as clothes, brushes, and money if they were old enough to find a job down at the town.

Clare was the youngest girl, a stubborn six-year-old blonde who loved to tattle on anyone but Marie, the second eldest girl, who babied and cuddled the Clare as if she was her own daughter. At the moment Marie was quizzing her on her spelling words.

One bunk over the eldest red head (there were three of them) was brushing her hair. Beside her Delilah was braiding her younger sister, Lily's, hair. On the top bed lay a sulking raven-haired teen. Glaring at the celling she brooded over how unfair life was.

The source of the sulking girls unhappiness was sitting by the window with two friends whispering about something that was most likely unkind. Pulling a box from under the bed the trio sat upon was a nervous eight-year old. "Jane! I can't find Fluffy!"

Jane walked away from her friend Zoë to help her twin out, tooth brush in mouth. Zoë in turn looked to her right and began talking with Ellie about how her job with the baker had gone earlier that day. "Oh, it wasn't too fun at first, but then the cutest boy showed up! You know the preachers son, Samuel?"

But Zoë's reply was cut short by a stocky girl with watery eyes interrupting. "Have you guys seen Anni?" Ellie shook her head and the girl walked off.

"Anni's probably hiding from her, I would! She's so clingy," Zoë whispered loudly. Ellie shot her a disgusted look and went to help the desperate girl.

Beside the doorway, by the last bunk bed a red head tied off the end of her long braid and slipped her shoes on. Peering over the top bed a brunette looked down quizzically. "Where are you going?"

"I left my chalk downstairs. I want to go get it before lights out."

"Oh, do you want my to come with you? It can be scary in the dark."

"I'll be fine." said the red head bravely.

"Okay, I'm going to bed then. Good night, Catherine."

"Good night, Nadia."

Nadia closed her eyes and drifted quickly into the realm of dreams.

_She was standing in the forest. All around her the woods echoed an eerie silence that spoke of no good. Not a creature stirred. No wind rustled the leaves. Hesitantly, Nadia looked around. Anyone else might have thought that this dream-forest had no animals, strange though the idea was, it would be accepted with the excuse, 'it's a dream anything can happen'! Nadia knew differently. She could sense them all around her, hiding in their burrows suppressing quivers of fear and she could hear their little hearts thrumming in terror. Something was horribly wrong, but what?_

_Suddenly, an owl screeched and birds of every kind took flight. Raising her nose she sniffed, and caught the faint sent of smoke. Terror filled her heart as well. A forest fire! Stumbling in her shock Nadia wheeled about and began crashing through the undergrowth not caring about the ruckus she made. There was no greater threat than a forest fire. But she was just a human. Heat was washing over her in waves, hotter than ten thousand forges. Glancing back she saw thick smoke hovering strangely still over the flames, as there was no wind to blow it. Just as she thought that, a faint brush of a breeze touched her arm. Oh, no._

_As if it had been waiting for just that moment the fire roared like a lion and jumped as powerfully as a cougar into the tree tops. With much roaring and crackling it leapt through the branches like a monkey. She knew with, dreadful certainty, that she could not out run it. The fire drew nearer. Nadia prepared to die - _

Screaming Nadia jerked up in bed. All around her girls were awaking. It was all right, just a dream. Suddenly her nose caught the sent of smoke. Jumping from her bed she screamed at the girls. "GET UP! FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE!" Throwing open the door she was met with the same intense heat from her dream and pitch black smoke. Slamming the door shut she looked around. All the girls were up. Clare was standing motionless. They were terrified. Nadia didn't know what to do. She was frozen in terror. There was nowhere to run.

BAM! Anni, the eldest of the girls had thrown her box of belongings at the old window. It fell apart instantly. "Take off your bed sheets!" she demanded. Nadia was screaming. Five other girls had knotted the bed sheets together quickly. Fire was licking at the doorframe. Marie threw the sheets out the window and girls started rushing down. Even Ellie, who was terrified of heights, was scrambling down the makeshift latter with ease. Nadia was fighting to get to the front of the crowd. Mindless terror drove her to forget all sense of politeness or order. Shoving Jane aside she scrambled down the ladder and sprinted away from the burning house. She ran past the clump of girls standing with Mama Iva and kept going, only to be caught by a man standing with the water mages, helping to put out the fire.

"Easy girl, it's all okay now," but Nadia wasn't hearing his words. Her large brown eyes were wild with fright, rolling crazily like a trapped horse. Screaming and struggling she tried to escape his grasp. Startled, he strengthened his grip. "Really, it's okay," he gasped as he tried to keep a hold on her. "The fire is under control now. You're safe."

Still Nadia struggled, the whites of her eyes reflecting an inhuman fear. Wildly she writhed in his arms. After what seemed like forever to the Water Mage, a healer hurried over to magic her to sleep.

"What was wrong with her?!" He asked, shaken.

"I don't know. That was most certainly different."


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: For later on in the chapter: Resident Assistant (RA) refers to a supervisor in dorms. If you've gone to college you know what that is. They're there to supervise the people in the dorms. It's a job that is usually done by an a graduate student or upper classman.**

Chapter Two:

…_Heat was washing over her in waves, hotter than ten thousand forges. Glancing back she saw thick smoke hovering strangely still over the flames, as there was no wind to blow it. Just as she thought that, a faint brush of a breeze touched her arm. Oh, no._

_As if it had been waiting for just that moment the fire roared like a lion and jumped as powerfully as a cougar into the treetops. With much roaring and crackling it leapt through the branches like a monkey. She knew with dreadful certainty that she could not out run it. The fire drew nearer. Nadia prepared to die - _

With a bolt and a scream, Nadia's head burst away from her pillow like a diver desperate for air. Sniffing the air she panicked. Smoke! Breathing deeper she relaxed. No, there was no fire. It was the of smell _old_ smoke. Panting heavily she used her bed sheet to wipe the sweat from her forehead with shaking fingers. She was alone in an unfamiliar room. It had new-looking walls and two bright windows letting in early morning sunlight. Where was she? Sitting still, Nadia thought back to the night before. Catherine went back to get her chalk after curfew. Her nightmare, the fire, and running, was all a little hazy. The memory was like a blazing ball of fear with a few scary pictures to emphasize the point. She was alone in strange room after a terrifying night. Nadia did not like that one bit.

Standing quickly from her bed she noticed that she was still dressed in her dressing gown. As she reached down to snap off a stray thread, Nadia realized that it was her nightgown that smelled of old smoke. Smoke from the fire last night. A heavy fear filled her heart at the mere thought of the fire. Where were the others? Were they alright? Abandoning any thoughts of finding some proper clothes Nadia stepped quietly to the door and slid it open. Like the room it was new looking and well kept so it was no surprise to her when it opened silently.

With a cautious eye, for she had no idea where she was or if she was aloud to be out of her room, Nadia crept through the long hall, her bare feet making only a rough whisper against the cold stone floor. On either side of her white doors were spaced at even intervals, all the identical, like little toy soldiers standing in a row. The first door she passed was silent, as were the next two. The fourth was home to a hopeless wail that caused shivers to race up and down her spine. Hurrying on Nadia passed one filled with hushed whispers. She passed a few more silent doors then - a horrible yell stopped Nadia in her tracks. Frozen with fright Nadia's eyes darted around. Only when she was sure no one was coming did she inch nearer to the door at the end of the hall. There were more of the painful yells, and as Nadia approached she could make out a few more voices. More yells, then a high pitched wail – a baby's wail - filled the hall.

With a grin Nadia hurried on. Where were they? Peeking into the doors in the next hall she found a library, a desk room, two washrooms, a room with a frail looking lady in it who coughed in her sleep, and more empty bedrooms. Just as Nadia was exiting a strange room that was filled with nothing but shelf upon shelf of bottles she spotted a man walking towards her. Freezing Nadia's eyes widened. Turning on her heel she ran for it. Naturally, the man followed. Who wouldn't chase down a strange girl who acted as if she had just stolen something?

"Hey! Stop!" he hollered after her. Nadia was terrified. Running into the room she had woken up in she slammed the door shut and bolted it.

"Hey!" exclaimed the man, turning the doorknob. "Open up!" Glancing down the hall for a nurse or someone who could help him, he noticed what wing he was in. "I don't mean you any harm." He said softly through the door.

With shaking fingers Nadia opened the door the smallest of slivers. One large brown eye peered at him hesitantly. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was soft and barely loud enough to hear.

"I'm Briar. I've been working on restocking the doctors with medicine."

"Doctors? Am I in a hospital?" the eye widened.

"Yes. This is Winding Circle Hospital. Are you new here?" Briar's eyes had stopped searching for someone to help him out.

"I must be. I only woke up here this morning, sir." The eye left and for a moment Briar thought he had frightened her off somehow. Then the door opened and he saw her beckon him in. He was barely over the threshold when she shut the door behind him. Sitting himself on the bed he watched her go to stand beside a window.

When she did not speak Briar decided to start the conversation. "Why were you running from me? You didn't steal anything, did you? Because taking medicine that isn't prescribed to you is really dangerous."

"Oh, no! I didn't take anything! I was looking for my family. Sixteen girls, all under fifteen and over five years old, plus a kindly lady named Iva Haythorn and a cook named Margret Pearl. Have you seen them?" Though she didn't mention the fire, Nadia still had to surpress a shudder of fear as the thought touched her mind again.

"Oh! You're from the orphanage. The one that caught fire!" Nadia kept the fear from her eyes and hid her shaking fingers by smoothing out her nightdress.

"Yes. Do you know where they are? I would really like to see them, sir." Looking up from her dress she gazed hopefully at Briar.

"Sure. It's just a ways down this hall."

All the women from the orphanage were safe and sound. And later, after an afternoon of nurses checking up on them to make sure the smoke hadn't affected them too badly, the entire group was sent off to the dormitories with a syrup to take nightly to heal any minor smoke damage to their lungs. It was nighttime and, once again, Nadia was trapped in the same nightmare.

…_The fire drew nearer. Nadia prepared to die -_

Screaming Nadia woke her dorm room at three in the morning. Around her, her family jumped out of bed panicking, all looking for a fire that wasn't there. A bleary eyed Resident Assistant (see authors note at the top of the chapter) burst through the door. "What's wrong?!!"

"N-nothing," stammered Nadia, the eyes of the entire dorm room fixed upon her. "J-just a n-nightmare, m-ma'am. I'm sorry for the d-disturbance." The RA glared at her ill-temperdly.

"Very well, get back to bed." She grumbled, turning on her heel to slam the door shut behind her. The girls around Nadia all made there way back to their beds, a few glaring, annoyed at her, but the majority seemed truly sympathetic. "Night Nadi'," whispered Catherine from above her.

"Night Cat," she whispered back, closing her eyes as tears threatened to fall. She was so embarrassed! Above her the mattress squeaked as she sensed Catherine falling back to sleep. All around her girls were falling back into slumber, yet Nadia felt wide-awake. The haunting dream was fresh in her mind, as was the terrifying memory of the fire. It had become much clearer since that morning in the hospital. Sticking her hand out in front of her face she tried to make out the shape in the darkness of the room and change her thoughts from where they were heading.

Slowly, very slowly, Nadia drifted off into a troubled sleep.

The next night was the same, as was the next, and the next one after that. Soon the girls of room nine were no longer sympathetic when she woke them up, screaming loudly at god-awful hours of the morning. It was easy for anyone at Winding Circle to tell who belonged in the girls dorm, room nine, as they were all walking around with dark bags under their eyes, half asleep, and horrible grouchy. It was on the fourth night of being awoken by Nadia's screams in a row that the RA decided enough was enough. As she barged into the room, her frilly nightdress swirling around her legs, she grabbed Nadia by the arm and jerked her out of bed. The girls around her stared, wide-eyed, but none moved to stop the angry RA from dragging Nadia out of the room.

"This is it!" the RA was muttering wildly under her breath as she stormed through the halls at inhuman speeds. "Bloody screaming every night! Not a wink of sleep!" Down four flights of stairs, through another long hall, past the laundry room, the nurse's office, the front door, dinning hall… jogging through a courtyard the RA led Nadia along, the grip on her upper arm never faltering, up some more steps and down another hall until they were stopped outside of an important looking office. "Wait. Here," the RA panted, pushing Nadia onto a bench, before rapping smartly on the door. After a LONG pause it was opened and the RA stepped inside, shutting the door behind her with a snap.

Tears filled Nadia's eyes as she slumped against the wall, rubbing her sore arm. She never meant to be such trouble! She hated the nightmares. She didn't mean to wake everyone up! But it wasn't like she could just stop sleeping! She had already tried that, and still she would sneak into slumber and wake everyone one up anyways. Glancing at the door she wondered who the angry RA was talking to. It was obviously about her, and it was obviously bad. Crying silently now Nadia bowed her head and covered her face in her hands. How much worse could the night get?

**A/N:**

**Please, do review, I've quite a number of reads, much better numbers than for by Back Lily story, and unfortunately, even fewer reviews! Now that you can see more of the story, perhaps you have enough of an opinion to review. And I do make a habit of visiting my reviewers profiles too! Review me and I'll review you! **


	3. Chapter Three

Apparently, it could get MUCH worse.

The angry RA gave Nadia a haughty look as she strode back out of the office seemingly hours later. "The headmistress wants to see you," she sneered at the puffy-eyed girl. Nodding, Nadia stiffly rose to her feet, wiped her eyes, and knocked hesitantly on the door. It was opened by an elderly lady with sharp features wearing a plum colored robe over her nightdress. She walked back around to her desk and settled herself in the chair, looking up at Nadia over her reading glasses.

"Natasha," she began.

"Ma'am," interrupted Nadia quietly "My name is Nadia."

The woman glared at her. "Don't interrupt, _Nadia._ Now, you've caused quite the disturbance recently, keeping everyone awake with your selfish screaming. Don't you understand how you are hampering your friend's abilities to learn? If they can't sleep, they can't learn well. Because of this, it has been decided that you will be move to Discipline in the morning. As for the remainder of the night, your friends need their sleep. You may sleep outside my door on the bench. After the breakfast bell you will go collect your belongings and wait at the front doors for someone to escort you to Discipline. That is all. Good night."

"Good night, ma'am," whispered Nadia, her voice hoarse with tears. This was awful! She had hurt her family and now she knew they had every right to be angry with her. She never meant to harm them, but she had with her nightmares. Quickly she slipped out the door, quietly shutting it behind her. Then she collapsed onto the bench in tears. This was absolutely awful!

The night passed excruciatingly slowly as Nadia twisted and turned, trying to become comfortable enough to fall asleep. Every time she would begin to nod off it she would jerk awake at a rustle of a leaf or the scurry of a mouse. When morning came she had bags under her eyes and her hair was a rats nest. Yawning Nadia allowed herself to stretch as she waited for the breakfast bell.

DONG!!! Standing up she hurried down the hallway, hoping to remember how to get back to her section of the dorm, which by now she knew quite well. Around her the last few sleepy stragglers of the breakfast crowd were stumbling dazedly down the stairs. Passing them at a brisk walk she found her way back with only a few wrong turns. Opening the door she stepped into the deserted room. Her bed was exactly as it had been when she left it a few hours earlier. Mechanically she began to remake it, an odd sense of dread and sorrow filling her chest. It would probably be the last time she made this bed. Would it be the last time she saw her family all together? She didn't know how far away this 'Discipline' place was. Would someone tell them where she'd gone? From her pillowcase Nadia took her only possessions: a spare hair ribbon and two coppers.

Her ribbon was tied in her hair and she clutched the coppers her fist. All set, she patted her pillow a final time and strode from the room, not knowing what the future would hold.

As it was, Nadia quickly found herself standing on aching feet just inside the front door. Breakfast had come and gone, and still no one had come to take her to Discipline. She was just about to sit down when a boy in a kitchen apprentice uniform came rushing into the entrance hall. "Are. You. Natasha?" he panted, his hands on his knees, head bent, chest heaving as it gasped for more air.

"I'm Nadia. Are you here to take me to Discipline?"

"Yeah," he was stopped gasping for breath. "Come with me!" he called over his shoulder before bounding out the door, as if he'd never been tired in the first place. Quite startled, Nadia jogged after him. "Sorry for the rush," they were now hurrying along the dusty road, dodging the occasional robed dedicate. "But Dedicate Friar needs me back pronto. We're working on a new experiment, see?"

Not having the breath to spare in a reply, Nadia merely nodded. "Here it is!" exclaimed the boy, pointing to a little house surrounded by a white picket fence. At the gate he waved good by, and Nadia was left to catch her breath alone. Wiping her sweaty hands on her dress she pushed open the gate. Out of the house came a woman. Smiling she called out, "Good morning!"

"G-good morning, ma'am." Nadia stammered. "I am sent by the headmistress to Discipline."

"Oh! I'm sorry, we hadn't heard! Here, here, come in!" chatting quite nicely she led her through the door. "Where are your bags?"

"This is all I have, ma'am," Nadia murmured, looking down. "The house burnt down…" she offered as an explanation. "We just haven't had the time yet. With all the chaos…" again her voice trailed off.

"Take a seat, I need to go speak to Rosethorn for a minute alright? I really am sorry, we just had no idea…"

"It's alright ma'am. Really. I am very thankful." Lark bustled out of the room, and Nadia took a seat.

"Lark, we don't have another room!" cried Rosethorn. That was true. Discipline was filled to the brim with students already. Paige and Amaya had to share a room already, the noble Jayde would throw a fit at the very idea, Thomas and Seth hated each other and it wasn't even considered that Nadia would room with a boy or sleep on the floor! "I'm sorry, but we can't take another student!"

"You're right, of course, but where can she go? I'm not going to go tell her she's not wanted!"

"Lark-" growled Rosethorn exasperatedly.

"I wont! Who else can take her in?" they sat in thoughtful silence for a long time. Their brains skimming through their mental lists of everyone one in Discipline. Then suddenly they looked at each other.

"Daja!"


End file.
